“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” In modernism, fragmentation, open form, and themes of despair take precedence over the fixed form and rhythm of the previous era. . These are bold strokes and individuals whose writing style encompassed a changing world. TS Eliot is no exception. With his 1915 poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," he used the new modernist ideals as an expression of society's pessimistic feelings and a departure from traditional writings. With a variety of literary techniques, Eliot effectively creates a twenty-stanza poem that embodies modernist sentiments. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is written in a very irregular pattern. There is no consistent rhyme scheme, with some rhymes lasting a whole. This imagery compares to TS Eliot's poem "The Waste Land" where we get an even deeper look at the emptiness of the modern world. The town's loneliness might reflect Prufrock's feeling of not having a wife and his reluctance to act on it. This allusion shows his inferiority and this is where his back and forth to declare his love ends. Prufrock then begins to repeat "I'm getting old" saying that he no longer has time to find love and that "[he doesn't] think [the mermaids] will sing to him" or that young women will want him . So, instead of facing his fear and anxiety, he surrenders to a “dream world.” A final note on "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is its fragmentation, which is a modernist theme that gives a chaotic feel. Most strikingly, Prufrock's thoughts are scattered and all over the place with repetitive thoughts and jumping from one thought to another. The imagery of the streets is also very fragmented, with the streets not very busy but knowing that they are there, "rough nights" and "restaurants". Overall, the dark and anxious themes of this poem comment on the situation of the modern world.